While the Trump administration’s “America first” policies are aimed primarily at giving higher priority to national security and economic growth for the United States, the White House’s approach will have impacts on energy relations with the rest of the hemisphere that should also be considered, according to a new report by the Inter-American Dialogue.

The new report, US-Latin America Energy Investment: Proposals for Policy Engagement, examines US investment in the energy sector in Latin America and the Caribbean, the role it plays in enabling energy trade and broader bilateral cooperation and how the administration’s policy agenda – which includes changes to trade terms, energy regulations and funding for energy-related programs – is likely to affect investment. The authors, Lisa Viscidi, director of the Dialogue’s Energy, Climate Change and Extractive Industries Program, and program associate Rebecca O’Connor, identify key considerations for the US-Latin America energy relationship and provide recommendations that call for continued cooperation on energy as part of a larger regional agenda as well as support for market access and regulatory reforms.